The invention is directed to a solar drying tunnel with a low profile and which is easily transportable.
In a conventional greenhouse or solar dryer, there is generally a bottom surface and a ceiling that is at a height suitable for human beings to enter. In the case of a grain dryer with a transparent dome, grains may be placed on the bottom surface, and a human being will enter the dryer to turn the grains so that they can dry on all surfaces. The dome is generally transparent so as to provide solar gain, also known as the “greenhouse effect.” Conventional greenhouses or similarly designed solar dryers are tall and expensive, and are not transportable.
A transportable system for drying grains or seed is the Collapsible Drying Case (CDCTM) (GrainPro, Inc.). The CDCTM is made of a heavy-duty black Poly Vinyl Chloride (PVC) surface as a bottom portion for placing the grains thereon, and, in case of rain, it can be folded halfway so that half the PVC surface acts as a cover that can be zipped onto the other half so that the grains or seeds can be protected during rain. The CDCTM also includes handles for transport. However, it does not benefit from solar gain since it has no transparent cover. The grains in the CDCTM are dried in the open air and are turned manually.